


Thunder, Lightning, and All Things Frightening

by swanqueenfic13



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-15
Updated: 2015-09-15
Packaged: 2018-04-20 20:45:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4801673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swanqueenfic13/pseuds/swanqueenfic13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Imagine your OTP in a thunderstorm. Person B is terrified and following Person A around everywhere, much to A's amusement.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Thunder, Lightning, and All Things Frightening

It wasn’t the thunder that woke her up.

It wasn’t the rain falling in sheets, clattering against the roof like rocks falling. It wasn’t the cloying heat, quickly getting oppressive after the power shut off, and more importantly, the air conditioning. It wasn’t the sudden darkness. It wasn’t the click of the doorknob as someone edged her bedroom door open. It wasn’t the way the mattress shifted as the small, slight figure crawled onto her bed.

It was the way the intruder whimpered, the way her arms encircled Ruby’s waist, clinging to her tightly.

“Belle?” Ruby whispers, instantly awake. After breaking up with Rumplestiltskin, Belle had started to stay at the Inn. Ruby had taken to sleeping in an empty guest room so that Belle wouldn’t be completely alone up here.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you,” Belle whispers, pointedly not making eye contact as Ruby rolls over.

“What’s going on?” Ruby groans, falling back against the mattress, trapping Belle’s arms around her waist. Lightning illuminates the room for a brief moment, and Ruby sees the abject terror in Belle’s eyes as the smaller woman rolls so that she’s practically on top of Ruby.

“I- uh- there’s a storm,” Belle informs a smiling Ruby. Ruby just waits for Belle to explain, absentmindedly running her fingers through Belle’s hair. “I woke up, and there was a storm… and, uh, and the power was out. Couldn’t fall back asleep, so I, um, came to make sure you were alright, too.”

“Liar,” Ruby teases.

“Am not,” Belle insists. Ruby sits up, carefully shifting Belle so that she’s cradled on Ruby’s lap.

“I’ll be right back,” Ruby explains, kissing the top of Belle’s head affectionately, laying her back down on the bed. Before she gets out the door, Belle is following Ruby, her arms crossed over her stomach. Ruby bites her lip, forcing herself to look anywhere but Belle’s smooth, pale legs, barely covered by the pink silk shorts. _She just got out of a major relationship. A major_ heterosexual _relationship. Don’t be dumb, Red._

“Where are we going?” Ruby can feel Belle’s arms rubbing up against her stomach as she walks.

“To make sure the generator went on downstairs. Granny’ll kill me if the ice cream melts in the freezer. Plus, I can’t sleep without that damn air conditioner.” They run down the stairs in silence, Belle never more than three inches away from Ruby. Switching on the generator is simple, and before long, they’re headed back towards Ruby’s room. Once again, Belle follows her in, taking a seat on the bed. “So, the storm, or the dark?”

“What are you talking about?” Belle asks, drawing one knee up to her chest, scooting closer to Ruby.

“What are you afraid of: the storm, or the dark?” Ruby whispers, her lips practically touching Belle’s ear.

“What?” Belle splutters. “I’m not afraid! I’m making sure you’re okay!” She shivers as the air conditioner starts to cool the room.

“Oh Belle,” Ruby singsongs, “can’t lie to a werewolf.” In the light of the lightning bolt, she sees Belle flushing a delicate shade of pink.

“The dark,” Belle finally answers. Ruby starts to chuckle, but Belle pinches her. “Don’t you dare! I’ve read all these books about creepy crawly monsters, and things that go bump in the night. I’ve studied all these creatures, read all these stupid horror novels, and now I can’t stop imagining this stupid goblin monster coming to get me! Stop laughing!” Belle cries, getting hysterical as Ruby can no longer contain her laughter. Belle starts to swat at Ruby, but she just traps Belle in her arms, pulling the flailing girl onto her lap.

“Calm down, calm down, I shouldn’t laugh. I’m sorry, Belle,” Ruby finally admits, smiling as Belle rests her head against Ruby’s chest. “You’ve got your big, bad werewolf friend to protect you now. No more goblins, or creepy crawly monsters, or things that go bump in the night, okay?” Ruby flicks on the light next to the bed and Belle sighs audibly, snuggling deeper into Ruby as she lays back on the bed.

Ruby doesn’t sleep well with the light on, but Belle falls asleep within minutes, her breath steadying. One of Belle’s hands snakes around Ruby’s waist, the other resting on Ruby’s heart while Ruby just nestles her chin on top of Belle’s head, both of her arms around her waist. Ruby couldn’t say how long that night lasted, how long the storm raged above them. At some point, she must have fallen asleep, because when she wakes, the room is lit by the sun, and the rain is nothing but a distant memory, but Belle is still nestled on top of her, trusting in her big, bad werewolf to keep her safe.


End file.
